


Walking the Edge

by fujinumasatorus



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Hyungwon Bingo, M/M, alternative universe, shape shifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:14:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25353049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fujinumasatorus/pseuds/fujinumasatorus
Summary: Hyungwon hears the offer and thinks,“why not?”“I’d like it if you did.”Hyunwoo certainly looks pleased, and undoubtedly Hyungwon feels the same.It’s something Hyungwon hasn’t had in awhile. A friend.
Relationships: Chae Hyungwon/Son Hyunwoo | Shownu
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29
Collections: Hyungwon Bingo: Round 2





	Walking the Edge

**Author's Note:**

> im so glad i got something done for hyungwon bingo ;A; if im lucky ill have one more thing done hh but no guarantee
> 
> not beta read pls ignore spelling mistakes

The train is crowded, stuffed to the brim with weary individuals traveling near and far. Their sweaty bodies and warm exhales moisten the already damp air. Hyungwon’s skin glistens with an unpleasant film swimming over; his sweat has soaked through, sticking to every part of his body.

He sits uncomfortably in his suit, tugging at the already loose collar from hours of running around his office to complete every mindless task thrown his way. Even if the overwhelming work day is over, he’s still suffocated by the mass of bodies compacted into the rusted metal train. Unfortunately, he has no room to complain with it being his only mode of transportation. 

He seldom lets his gaze wander, preferring to close his eyes and drown out as much as he can. It takes all of his energy to blur out the irrelevant bodies. They’re unimportant and more of a nuisance because of the proximity. Most of them anyways.

There in the same cart as he, near the first window and four rows of seats back, should sit a man similar to himself. He’s inconspicuous as he blends into the crowd, bland beige suit, wrinkled from a tedious day job, then worn further maneuvering through the crowded subway station. A feat no one wishes to partake in. Hyungwon can only imagine he’s just as ready to escape from the ride. 

Somewhere in the middle of their trip Hyungwon prepares to open his eyes to the scene, as he needs to confirm something. The move has to be subtle to avoid capturing unnecessary attention. He’s hyper aware of his surroundings at all times for good reason; he waits for the right moment to glance over. 

He finds just who he is looking for. 

The man’s head is tilted, slowly nodding down to face the arms crossed over this chest. Tired, sweaty, just wanting to be home. He fits into a picture that’s nothing different than every other bystander limping through life, but at the end it would be wrong to put him there. 

He has Hyungwon’s attention for a reason. This isn’t their first ride together, far from it. They’ve yet to share a word on their overlapping journeys, yet they are well acquainted. 

Each rest at opposite sides of the plastered floor, never directly acknowledging each other, but recognizing their presence. Even if they haven’t gone a day without the other on the ride, a sigh of relief escapes Hyungwon’s nostrils once he’s made certain the man is there. He doesn’t know what he’d do if he wasn’t. 

If he did end up in such a situation, Hyungwon can only imagine he would be gone next. 

After all, his daily 9 to 5 is nothing more than a temporary cover from his actual situation. He’s meant to keep a low profile as advised by citizens protection for some work in his past life of less than a year ago. He lives through all the motions he would normally, but this time with a lingering worry following him. There’s no sign of his return in the next few months, so he’s chosen not to think about what will happen when he eventually ends up away from the musty subway ride, back in his own hometown, away from the quiet man mere meters away. And he isn’t so sure he wants an answer soon, anyways. 

He shakes away thoughts of the past and future and instead refocuses forward. A sense of peace settles over his body. He has learned to savor every ride, accepting the rickety rails and stuffed chairs as a blessing for the both of them. Anything could happen once the ride ends.

As the clock ticks down he lowers the volume of the music playing through his ear phones and prepares for the flurry of people about to shift in every direction. He inhales short, exhales long, the last chance to keep his composure. 

The cart’s speed descends. The grip on his bag tightens. At the same time as the man, Hyungwon stands. The breaks of the cart finish whistling. As the pressure releases from the doors, so does his breath. The overhead lights blink as they exit the sliding doors. With only seconds to escape before they shut once more, they head out with the crowd onto the train platform. 

The two exit opposite doors, but head in the same direction. Their moves are strategic, keeping a distance to fool the cameras into thinking they’re not involved with each other once they step off. They’re too visible then, but the cameras disappear as they move away. The hallway leads to the next platform, then they find themselves nearer and nearer, until their shoulders brush. 

His breath stifles, but it doesn’t show. It’s not the time for relief or building anxiety, he still needs his guard up. They’re two souls walking casually, near impossible to pick out in the sea of monotone faces.

It isn’t until they are mixed into another wave of passengers that they speak. A hoard of people make their way up the same stairs after another train docks. The exit is in sight, but extends from enough away it’s its own journey. The murmurs echo off of the wall, beating back down against them as they are dragged with the traffic.

They have learned to work with the chaos. It’s a cover they use to their benefit.

“Did you make the reservation?” Hyungwon starts low, but loud enough to hear while facing forward.

“All settled.”

“Great.”

From the corner of his eye he notices the man’s mouth tilt up. Satisfied. Just as Hyungwon is, but he’s too conscious to let it show. 

The plan from then on out is to stay side by side if they can help it. But not as themselves.

He shifts, completely altering his appearance until he’s unidentifiable.

And so does the man by his side.

The steps of Hyungwon’s sleek, black loafers turn to sneakers. His suit turns to a long coat, drowning his body with a shorter frame. Next to him, the man falls into the same beat. His appearance changes, and away goes the face he knows so well. No more soft lips, gentle eyes, or wide shoulders. Hyungwon could stare in awe, not at the new appearance as he feels nothing for it, but the sheer talent to make such a thing happen. With him, it’s nothing special, but to see it from the outside differs.

They’re on their way out. The glow of the exit comes closer, brushing their face, stinging their eyes. It’s not soon enough for the irritable officer workers, traveling students, and anyone outside of or in between to go on their own ways. Hyungwon feels an elbow in his side multiple times as eager bodies continuously push forward to reach the exit. 

In a second the people disperse, not once stopping after passing the haven of the entryway. They were once deadweight on the train, but their legs fully revive to escape its door. The crowd thins, and Hyungwon has lost sight of the man. Prepared for this sort of situation, the two know their destination without needing to be walked. It’s a place away from their homes and work lives. Somewhere they cannot easily be found.

He continues, unfazed by his surroundings. Even as another slips out of the alleyway by his side. Him.

In their disguises, they’re free to keep close. Hyungwon’s fingers twitch to grab his hand, but he still doesn’t. He keeps to himself, picking at the ends of his sleeve instead. He’ll be patient. How could he not considering he constantly waits for each moment they have together.

The evening sky has already turned from a muggy orange to an inky blue. The clouds haze over, hiding any stars. The city exists under a dark mist, not even saved by the weak street lamps. The building they walk up to doesn’t fare any better, but again he won’t complain. 

The other offers to check in, leaving Hyungwon outside on the street side. He follows wordlessly after seeing the keys in hand. They make it to the assigned room, a nervous bubble filling his stomach once more. Rather than dread, there’s excitement. 

They haven’t been able to escape away like this in awhile. Seeing each other on the evening train offers so little. They do not even have the privilege of sitting aside one another.

The man turns the door knob. As the door shuts behind them, they waste no time snapping the three locks. Here, they can be themselves. They shift back without a word. Now Hyungwon can see friendly brown eyes and tousled, dark hair.

Safe inside the room, away from the insufferable crowd, they stand for a only second. They’re closed off from the world’s lingering stress. They’re alone. Together.

“Hyunwoo,” he breathes. 

Without wasting any time, Hyungwon pulls Hyunwoo flush against himself. He’s warm. The day’s unpleasant smell sticks to his suit, but for now, he stuffs his face in the man’s neck. He breathes it all in without a care because the affection is what he needs. It’s the simplest intimacy they can give each other while providing all of the assurance he needs. 

Before the elder was hesitant with his touch, giving Hyungwon all of the space he needed until they were comfortable with physical contact. But now, he’s unafraid. Hyunwoo uses his entire frame to wrap and pull him close, hugging him with the same insistence.

They haven’t seen each other in 3 weeks, not like this anyway. While there are longer times to be away, it’s the first time in a while that he can breathe easy. 

0

Hyungwon isn’t from the city, but he’s moved out of concern.

What if the human body could alter itself? Conform to any shape or size it pleases? With countless experiments in several laboratories, Hyungwon comes to be. The series occurs for years without notice, but as the developers get caught, he and many other children are hidden away.

He grows up, knowing little about being able to shift, but being aware he can. Short memories of the time exist in his mind, but come and go in black wisps. As they filter through, he makes out others participating in the same tests, friendly and small, but just as confused as he is. They’re gone in seconds each time.

His adoptive parents are completely in the dark until they see it for themselves. Their small boy makes a single attempt to alter his face to copy a silly one he sees on tv. Abandoning all plausible rationale once over their hysterics, they accept what they saw. 

_“They taught me how to shift,” he tells them._

Such a confusing phrase from a child with cushioned cheeks and an innocence not yet lost to the world. It’s not that much of a problem. They can accept it, look the other way. For his safety, they keep it quiet. Their image of him never changes, but he still avoids shifting after seeing their reactions. 

He grows up fine and well, but eventually gets an offer to continue the tests from the developers during his teenage years who are back and ready to work. Hyungwon has a decision to make himself void of the influence of his family, because he’s the one who can shift, not them. While he sits on the fence, they grow more and more persistent, giving him an offer he can't refuse. An uncertainty exists, but to learn more about his ability (and give money back to his family), he agrees. 

Hyungwon enters the laboratory, bile rising in his throat, but he holds it back. He’s spoon-fed many instructions after informing them he has not shifted, their disappointment weighing heavy in his chest. He feels like he’s starting at the beginning, a child who has no concept of the power.

But soon enough, he gets a handle on all control. He’s assured he has a natural talent that many of the others can’t quite hold. In truth, he practices as much as he can. And he does it for many years all the way into his twenties by their side.

Once again, it’s discovered and everyone tied to the experiment is being searched for. 

They initially cease all operations, but people start looking. As things get worse, he is pulled from his work, his family & friends, and his home. He’s then sat down in a dimly lit office, two doctors, security personnel, and a legal aid inform him he can no longer continue on with his daily routine unless he wants to risk capture.

He doesn’t really have a choice, even if he decided to weigh his options. They need him alive. What they’re really telling him is to prepare and do it fast. 

He packs his life into sealed boxes, mostly the essentials. A few mementos will keep his sense of peace. The rest are to be handled and arranged so that he need not worry. 

After dumping him in a new apartment hours from his original home, he’s left with a file on his new identity. He loathes to learn and accept it, but knows he has to.

Lay low is what they tell him, for a few months at minimum. Once they have everything sorted out he and all of the others can return. 

“Don’t bring any unnecessary attention to yourself. Don’t get involved with anyone. _Don’t shift.”_

Eventually, he does anyway. 

A familiar itch tells him he needs to, though he fights it whenever he can. It is and always has been the way he felt the safest once he is comfortable using it, but the risk never disappears. 

The first few weeks he expects to be slow as he settles into a new routine, but it’s not the case. He walks himself through every action as the world around him passes like a bullet train. The floor under him shakes, torn apart further from aftershocks, but he walks upright with a refusal to fall.

The office isn’t grand, but sizable enough that he melts into the background with the amount of workers. He’s to work the copy machine, a very uninteresting job, but demanding the longer he goes on. The idea is to blend himself in with the dull, grey walls without a ripple. Hidden in plain sight since he’s not underground, but still a needle in a haystack.

He soon meets his assistant colleagues in other departments. Though, very few. It’s less introductions and more swift greetings, as they’re short enough that he knows nothing more than a name and a face. They frequent the floor demanding copies multiple times a day without a warning unless they are sent prior. 

He finds the business lacks a decent organization at the beginning of new projects, and he’s unlucky to have found himself smacked in as one begins. They’re frenzied, all departments mixing in with each other, but he still manages to catch all of the files they need.

Blandness covers his night routines. As he settles out of his work uniform the quiet apartment becomes the loudest sound in his ears. The neighborhood area is far too quiet, away from bustling streets and roaring vehicles. Part of him misses the echoes of engines and chirpy, late night party goers. Sleep eventually becomes his closest friend. Yet, the softest pillows fail to put his mind at ease. 

Wake up. Work efficiently. Ride the musty train. Sleep and start all over again.

Consistency seems to form his new life. 

His expectations never seem to last, though. 

An unfamiliar face enters his area weeks later, and Hyungwon barely looks up expecting no one new than from who he’s met. He peeks up when no orders have been immediately thrown his way. The man before him holds a poised expression. He’s fairly tall, dark brown hair messily styled above his eye brows. 

“Can I get 15 copies?” he breaks in.

The voice startles him, friendlier than what he is expecting. 

He reaches for the paper, pulling them to the scanner all while his mind boggles for the memory. They haven’t met, but he thinks he knows him. Most likely just in passing, but memorable enough to make him think. He finds it when the first copy is spit out. 

Son Hyunwoo. The worker from two floors below. He’s one position shy from the head of the department. Usually a lackey would be the one making a run for files. He can picture Hyunwoo’s intern stumbling out with a sizable stack, but instead before him is the lead himself.

“I didn’t catch your name.” Hyunwoo startles him again.

“Dajoong.” 

The name rolls off his tongue easily without a single hint of being rehearsed. No room for mistakes, no risk of revealing his identity. 

“Thank you for the help, Dajoong.”

Hyunwoo shakes his hand along with his introduction, less formal and more comfortable than laying out his business card. Hyungwon stares a second longer than he should, but reaches back. Hyunwoo’s grip is firm, with soft hands, fitting like a glove in his own.

“Yeah, no problem,” he answers after a beat.

With a final nod, Hyunwoo retrieves the papers from a plastic tray and leaves Hyungwon to his devices. It’s no real change to his routine, but Hyungwon appreciates the new face. 

He’s left with the sounds of printers realigning in the background, more content than before.

-

It confuses him to see Hyunwoo on their floor a few days later.

His simple presence sets a different mood in the workplace. The years have worn on many of them, leaving them with slow steps and dragged soles, yet he walks sturdy. Hyunwoo keeps a signature beat, his silhouette commanding his own space. Like him, Hyungwon hopes he can escape the fate of a zombie office worker. 

He sees Hyunwoo’s coming towards him. Again.

The work room is almost always empty, aside from himself. Everyone else is at their desk, communicating easily over a screen. The assistants much prefer to transfer files over the server, avoiding all casual conversation. He doesn’t mind the calm, knowing it’s not empty, but he’s not opposed to the company either.

Hyunwoo knocks against the door frame to get his attention before entering the space. Hyungwon tilts his head up, as if he wasn’t staring out of the corner of his eyes. This time around, he’s holding a thicker stack of papers.

“How many copies do you need?”

Hyunwoo blinks for a second, not even having got in a proper greeting.

“15 of each. I need them before the 4 o'clock meeting,” he instructs. “Also, good afternoon.”

“Good afternoon,” he answers stiffly, but pleased regardless, Hyunwoo smiles. “Should I bring them to the board room?”

“I’ll wait here if you can print them now.”

First he makes the trip himself, now he wants to stay and wait for them? Thankfully he’s not backed up, he would feel even worse making the man wait.

“I’ll get to it then.”

He still feels a little bad staying so formal, especially since Hyunwoo seems to appreciate an engaged response. The distance as a lower employee is in place, pronounced by solitude he’s felt since arriving. 

Hyunwoo seems like a decent character, the exact person you’d want to pass pleasantries with. He may just be friendly with all of their colleagues, but that doesn’t mean he should feel uncomfortable with interacting.

Curiosity gets the best of him.

“It’s not my place to bring up I know, but.” Hyunwoo raises his brows, staying silent while Hyungwon starts the printer. “Usually your assistant comes up to get copies, doesn’t he?”

Hyunwoo of all things looks stunned that he would ask a direct question, then shy when thinking of his answer.

“Last time I came around he was taking a sick day. I had to get them myself.”

“And today?”

“I thought it’d be nice to take the trip myself.”

Though he comes off as reserved, Hyunwoo speaks with no hesitation. He gives Hyungwon a closed mouth smile, but his entire face changes. His cheeks puff out, forming smile lines. The tips of his ears blossoms rosy contrasting the shades of his hair and neck.

If the walls could change through manifestation, he thinks the office would instantly bloom with a shade matching the friendly feeling Hyunwoo brings with him. Yellows, reds, and orange dripping down and spreading to each corner. 

“It’s nice that you came down. Only a few people do.”

And he means that. He knows he needs to keep a distance, but a simple work acquaintanceship will do no harm.

“I’d like to come down again if I can. Or should I send my assistant?”

He sounds genuine in asking, but ends his sentence with a chuckle. If Hyungwon isn’t alright with his presence, he can play it off and pretend he hadn’t suggested it seriously.

Hyungwon hears the offer and thinks, _“why not?”_

“I’d like it if you did.”

Hyunwoo certainly looks pleased, and undoubtedly Hyungwon feels the same. 

It’s something Hyungwon hasn’t had in awhile. A friend.

0

Hyunwoo’s hugs are the warmest he’s ever felt. Firm arms wrap around his own wide shoulders, stiff at the beginning, but he easily melts into a safe embrace.

Hyungwon towers over him by just a few centimeters, but chooses to lay his arms over Hyunwoo’s shoulders and rest his face against his neck. They fit as a puzzle, two pieces made for each other. The edges click naturally.

There’s endless metaphors to describe how right it is. Hyungwon’s sure he’s gone over every one.

0

Hyunwoo starts to make all of his own trips to the print room. When the order is small enough, he’ll wait there for them to be finished instead of returning back to his desk. If not, he’ll still stick around to talk about anything that comes to mind.

Their conversations start short, Hyungwon still wary of opening himself up. In weeks, he hasn’t properly communicated with anyone. Even his contact with the medical staff is minimal. Their updates are simple sentences regarding their progress that he must read between the lines to decipher. 

The message? No changes, but it’s still not safe for him to return. He’s still firmly planted in his false identity.

But Hyunwoo takes away some of the pain. He can look forward to work. He comes down again and again, the two never tiring of their interactions. The dull atmosphere is drenched in life from the mere minutes they spend together.

0

They eventually let go of each other. The seconds turn to minutes, and soon they realize they can’t spend all of their moments at the door.

Settling themselves in the room, Hyungwon pulls two convenience store lunches he purchased before stepping on the train from his bag. After the long hours, Hyunwoo’s stomach is already growling. He’s quick to pull his utensils and start digging into the cold meat and rice.

There’s no romantic candle light or tablecloths. The lowlight of the building isn’t by choice, rather a failing bulb the hotel has yet to handle. There isn’t a hum of chatter either, both choosing to forego a conversation.

Hyunwoo isn’t much of a conversationalist before a bowl, but it’s still endearing. Sometimes his friends back home would leave no space to chew with all of the new topics brought up. He loves their bright energy of course, but the quiet is a different thing to appreciate.

They have their own sort of system created to suit them best; some details are in place without choice because their relationship is restricted. There are days he can’t get it out of his head that they stand on egg shells, and they could crack at any moment. Some days Hyunwoo is so weary, Hyungwon worries he might not think the trip is worth it. 

Then in the quietest moments of the morning. Hyunwon tells Hyunwoo what he means to him. Hyunwoo tells him he loves him back.

0

A phone call from the organization spikes his anxiety. It’s the first real news he’s gotten in two months. His previous apartment, though void of his belongings, is broken into. His family is safe, but are pulled from his childhood home and temporarily put up in a hotel. 

He’s always been at risk, he knows. He’s been aware of that fact since he first stepped back into the lab, but his family is different. He’s left to keep them safe. He’s shared no information about them or told them the details of his tests to keep them from worrying. 

They should be safe.

The loss of composure has him dropping his phone before the end tone rings. The device slams down onto the hard plastic, catching the attention of a few workers. He doesn’t bother to catch it or explain his upset. The nausea swims up his throat, burning his stomach. He thinks he’s seconds from regurgitating his lunch over the floor.

He needs a moment. The problem is he’s in the middle of the office. He should leave, not just the building but all of the way back home, feeling reckless enough to drop the whole facade just for proof that they’re alive and well. But a rash decision would do more harm than good.

With a short apology to those near, he walks away from the room to recollect himself. The floor blurs underneath him. Anyone in his pathway disperses before he can run into them. He hopes they’ll forgive him for his lapse. 

Every sound around him filters out. He can no longer hear the whirring computers or rustling papers that set the office ambiance. He sees his shoes trampling the floor with quick steps, but they don’t make a single sound. 

He cranks open the door, and sprints down a few steps before falling down and clinging to the railing. His chest is in his throat, tight and painful. He only knows what he’s been told, but there’s no guarantee it’s right. The false sense of peace could turn before he knows it. And what would he be able to do from this far away?

His internal monologue is cut short when the door handle twists open. He didn’t even stop to consider that he could have been followed. As the stairway door swings open fully, his first thought is to hide. He doesn’t want to be seen in such a state. Being caught close to tears is miles worse than not being allowed a comfortable second to breathe.

Under the steps, he shifts. 

The transformation takes him away from himself as his own personal escape route. Everything about his appearance alters, nothing is left to offer a hint who he is. Still, he cannot stay sitting.

He mistakenly thinks he can walk back the way he came, convincing whoever followed him that he continued down the stairs and instead another person is passing to go back to his floor.

His expectations fail to live up. Rather than continue up the steps, he stops, coming face to face with Hyunwoo. His mind is sent into a flurry; his chest plummets to his feet. 

_Did he see him?_

Hyunwoo’s staring at him like he knows him. Like he intentionally followed and found the person he was looking for.

_Did he not actually transform?_

The moment exists more as a nightmare, where he struggles to find an edge to grasp.

“Dajoong?”

But he’s not mistaken. He’s there in the stairwell. Hyunwoo is before him. Asking for _him._

Being found out isn’t a reality he is prepared for. The thought hadn’t crossed his mind, after all, he’s made it so far under cover and never planned to get close. 

Choosing to stay quiet isn’t correct, but he has few options. A started conversation could go anywhere. To deny everything, but he loses that option with every second. Hyungwon looks down to his hands, undoubtedly not his own. Then Hyunwoo speaks.

“You can…?”

The final unsaid word lingers in the air, waiting to drop, but holds itself back. He knows, he saw it? There’s no way to undo the revelation.

Then it hits him. Hyunwoo knows? Not that he can change shape, but about _shifting._ Their eyes meet again, Hyunwon’s face is unknown to himself, but drenched with uncertainty from parted lips and wide eyes. 

Hyunwoo licks his mouth. 

“I can, too.”

The last needle on the edge drops, clattering down the dark abyss but eventually meets its end, settling still. 

The door breaks open, interrupting once more. Two office techs walk through, passing the pair silently with curious eyes. It’s the worst place to try and have such a conversation.

Hyunwoo must think it too, because he surprises him again by taking his hand and leading him to the roof. What seemed like a long, empty stairway instead turns into a wondrous path. He doesn’t know what he’ll meet at the end, but he doesn’t pull away, or start to drag. He only lets himself be carried along.

He has to continue what was said. Such a bomb can’t be dropped without more acknowledgement. 

What are the odds he finds someone that can do the same as he?

He knows of others. He also knows many of them disappeared. The fact isn’t necessarily morbid, but when someone disappears, he doesn’t expect to find them.

They reach the roof. Empty as expected. They settle out of view from the doorway, not letting the silence stand very long.

“That’s you, isn’t it? Dajoong?”

Hyunwoo hasn’t lashed out or made him feel unsafe, but taking that leap is a risk regardless. Can he say it? He considers holding his tongue.

Hyunwoo isn’t put off by the lack of response. He sighs for a second, stepping off of the wall. Hyunwon stays seated, picking at some of the leaves that have bunched up where a metal vent meets the floor. 

“I meant it. What I said down there.”

_“I can, too.”_ The sentences ring in his ears. Only three words, to make such an impact. He has already been sent in a whirlpool with the news back home, but now the sea has been thrown back with a new reveal and he’s still caught in the middle without a raft.

“Ever since I was a child I could shift. But I was taken away, and I never went back. I’m sure you can guess here’s where I ended up.”

Hyungwon wonders what his life could have been had he not gone back. Quiet days, peaceful day job, no extraordinary characters prodding into his personal affairs. But he made his choice. There’s no reason to dwell on what could have been when he can focus on where he’s at and who he made the decision for.

“I may not have returned to the lab, but it’s still a part of me. I know how to shift well, not like a child in the cold grey room who can barely change their face.”

He doubts the confidence is misplaced. He hasn’t seen him shift, but can think of no reason for the other to lie.

“I can show you.”

Hyungwon’s eyes go wide as Hyunwoo steps back.

He sees a loose suit, getting wrinkly as he shakes in preparation. The transition is so smooth Hyunwon holds his breath for every second he stares in awe. His clothing melts into new fabric, his frame molds shorter and wider to match a squared jaw line. Short hair grows long, he loses nearly 5 inches of height.

It’s such a contrast to his original person, with no distorted features, Hyungwon is stunned to think he practiced without any direction. They only learned so much as children. He himself only got a real handle in his later years.

“Wow. I never thought I’d meet someone. Or that you?”

“I never thought you could either or that I’d meet someone else, but the world is smaller than we think.”

With a final deep breath, Hyungwon stands. He’s never done this outside of the lab, with a few expectations. One of those times being a night where he chose to entertain his friends who were insistent on seeing him shift.

Turning back, his hair shrinks, his torso goes long, his legs even longer. He’s laid back out as the man Hyunwoo has always seen him as.

It doesn’t feel quite right, Hyungwon knowing he’s still a secret while Hyunwoo has most likely just revealed the biggest one in his life.

He sees Hyunwoo as someone he could trust without hesitation. It could be the first time in his life he has someone to relate to on such a level. Against better reasons, he takes another chance.

“My name isn’t Dajoong. It’s Hyungwon.”

“You have a beautiful name.”

The storm has stopped stirring. Ravaging waves flatten. He can grab a rope and jump on board.

“Would it be rude to ask if we can talk again. About this?”

“I’d like that.”

0

The first thing he thinks when he pictures Hyunwoo is comfort. 

As they clean up from their meals, they make their way over to the bed. Hyungwon has an appearance of detachment, patched with an arrogance that only really goes as far as a surface level assumption. With those he’s close, he’s free enough to tease and laugh, and the more relaxed he is, the more any guard spills away.

Hyunwoo may be older and his senior in the workplace, but here they’re each other’s person. The affection they share reaches meaningful conversations, witty quips, and fond caresses.

“Did you wash your hands?” Hyungwon asks.

“Yes.”

“Your face?”

“Yes..”

“Brush your teeth?”

“Yes,” Hyunwoo sighs out, exasperated at the endless stream of questions. But there’s no bite to them, nor real irritation in his answers.

“Good. Because I don’t want to kiss anyone with bad breath,” Hyungwon teases after Hyunwoo steps out of the shower.

He’s much more refreshed after his own. He went first, and is in the middle of drying his hair when the older man steps out in his white towel. The room itself may not be the cleanest, but they refuse to stay sitting in grime from their work day. 

Hyunwoo soon slips on his sweat pants and nothing more. A thin towel lays wrapped around his neck as he drops himself on the sheets. The evening has settled, pronounced by the moonlight. But they won’t sleep, not yet. They haven’t had enough.

Hyungwon reaches for Hyunwoo’s face first. Hand cupping his jaw and bringing it into a soft kiss. Hyunwoo returns it the same, their rhythm changing naturally as the two fit closer. 

Hands shift lower, roaming anywhere they can reach, chests press closer until their flush close and tinting with a pink glow. They have all night, and they’ve just gotten started.

0 

The chance they could become anything more ends before it begins.

After their meeting on the roof, they go back silently to their work stations. Hyunwoo promises to see him at the end of their shift, and while Hyungwon originally wanted to hide out in the comfort of his home, seeing Hyunwoo after sounds much more preferable.

He looks down to his station, acting as if he's starting the day all over again. He’s been given a few more responsibilities after returning to the room, which serve as a much needed distraction. The hours pass steadily, and eventually match the pace of his heartbeat.

The rest of the floor is empty, all others having packed up early for the weekend. Hums of chatter lessen with each passing minute. He stares down at his watch knowing his shift is well over, wondering when the other will make his way over.

If he’s honest, he’s thrilled to get out, but he doubts he’d feel this way if it wasn’t because he’s meeting with Hyunwoo. The gentle giant from two floors down. The shapeshifter. 

All files are organized in their respective cabinets, each machine is cleaned and shut down for the evening. He’s clocked out with his time card. He still stands in the print room, belongings already gathered, tapping on his phone to pass the time. 

Then he raises his head to meet Hyunwoo. He, too, is already put together to leave. 

“Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?”

“Of course.”

Hyunwoo takes him to a cozy noodle restaurant nestled between a coffee shop and optometrist. Hyunwoo is clearly familiar with the staff, and they speak to him less formally than they would a typical customer.

He feels like they could drag their conversation on for hours after being seated in the back, away from the other clientele. They don’t of course, out of respect for the staff. They use their time wisely, asking the most appropriate and least invasive question they can. But he is open about his ability, and mentions entering the lab once more. Hyunwoo chose not to, wanting to follow his own path for life. He had learned how to use the power by himself.

He already had an idea, but outside of the office Hyunwoo proves himself to be even more charming. He answers with honesty, a tad blunt and to the point, but he’s funny without meaning to, making him a natural comedian. He easily lights up the room, and Hyungwon has moments where he has to reel in his laughter to avoid disturbing anyone else. 

The meal ends too soon. As silly as it sounds, his heart flutters once Hyunwoo drops him off. Feelings like these are meant for first relationships, children in the school yard confessing through notes. Not grown men in their 20s who have met through their office job. 

But Hyungwon hasn’t felt this type of connection before, and if the more poetic part of him has a say, it’s telling him that the world saved this feeling just for them. A small gift.

He wonders why things don’t last.

The next morning he receives an unexpected knock. No one has come to visit him in months. He doesn’t know anyone here. He’s not sure he feels relief either when he sees the recognizable faces of the lead scientist and his security guard.

They sit him down, his palms sweating over his slacks as they speak. It’s one of the worst conversations he could have before work.

_“Our company is paying to protect you. You will not risk this over an office affair. Hear this warning well or there will be consequences.”_

He holds his tongue to avoid arguing back about why they are talking in the first place. He has no place to say Hyunwoo is another shifter and that the “office romance” is the best thing that could have happened. He can’t share someone else’s secret. 

-

“I can’t see you anymore.”

The ball drops in the tower. The hollow vent echoes as it falls, endless. His mind is numb until the crash. He maybe should have picked somewhere else to have this conversation, like the bathroom where it’s never quiet and the sound doesn’t bounce off the corners. Here he can hear the sound of their breathing, and where it ends from shock.

It doesn’t quite matter where, though, when the sentence pours over him like a nasty sludge. The words are heavy, unnerving. Hyunwoo stares at him heartbroken like he’s never been. It’s incomprehensible to the person who thought their evening was one of the best spent nights, eased into by meaningful office conversations over the months he’s been working.

“I don’t understand.”

“I didn’t really go into it last night, but I told you I’m here for safety reasons. The company who made us, they sent me here for protection. And. I can’t get into anything that could ruin my cover.”

Which is almost pointless because Hyungwon himself was the one to reveal his true identity. 

“I don’t want to stop seeing you.”

He doesn’t want to either.

“I’ve enjoyed seeing you every single day,” Hyunwoo continues.

“It’s not safe to get involved. You could get hurt.”

He’s trying to convince himself solitude is the best option he has. He should respect the people that have given him and his family so much. And he’s never been hurt by them really.

Hyunwoo has to understand him. They had lives before each other, even if Hyungwon’s is hours away and packed into a storage unit or hidden away in safety housing. They’ll be okay without the other.

“And if I don’t want to?”

He’s going to make this difficult. Hyungwon looks him straight in the eyes, holding back his frustrations. Hyunwoo stands as firm as he always does, a solid rock to lean on and look up to.

“Why would you take that risk?

“For you. To keep seeing you.”

“Why bother when we don’t know each other well.”

“Because I want to get to know you. Not just Dajoong the office worker who mysteriously appeared mid season, but as Hyungwon.”

This time around it’s not the floor cracking beneath him. The pieces holding him up aren’t crumbled to the point he can no longer stand. It’s the little shell he’s placed around his mind and heart.

He just doesn’t know how it will work, but Hyunwoo wants it to. And he does, too.

So they try.

0

“I’m happy to see you again,” Hyunwoo whispers between breaths. Their mouths haven’t left each other, having a conversation of passion and need.

They kiss each other like they haven’t in years. Weeks apart has the same feeling in his books. Every time they can, they meet. They find the times when their schedules are perfectly aligned. They wait weeks for hours. And cherish every second.

“You think I would skip out?”

To prove his point, Hyungwon tightens his grip on his shoulders. He’s here, and holding on.

“Not that. You just never know.”

He knows, very well.

0

Knowingly shifting when he shouldn’t scares him much less than he thought it would. He’s shifted plenty of times in the past, nearly everyday since stepping back into the lab. The first years of his life were built on being able to do it.

The company is watching, but not as severely as he anticipated, as they do not bother him again in the following weeks. But he’s never quite sure, and can’t take the risk. They occasionally email, and his breath catches in his throat each time, but it’s nothing remotely about monitoring his activity. They have other people to watch, he supposes. 

So they carefully schedule meetings outside of work, and continue very short, civilized conversations inside. It leads to the two texting, which Hyungwon previously had not bothered much with, but in this case he has no problem. He wants to keep in contact. He wants to keep meeting. And it’s worth every risk he’s taken.

0

The night disappears into the early hours of the morning. The birds in the street start screeching as the subway cars shake the ground, waking their nests. A grimy, orange and purple haze filters through the dusty curtains, overpowering the murky blues. The light litters the floor and exposes its endless stains. 

It’s never been paradise. As their surroundings brighten, it’s a dreary reminder of what they have. Appreciate having this at least, he reminds himself.

Hyungwon nestles just a little closer as Hyunwoo snores next to him. His chest hums; the air leaves his nostrils and tickles Hyungwon’s face. The moment worms its way into his heart, roping in, and sitting tight. 

He could be alone, but he’s not. He’s with Hyunwoo. 

For now he can forget that someone is technically after him. Even more that he is away from the only life he’s known solely to avoid them. He can ignore the filthy surroundings, especially considering every building in the city looks the same.

For now, these are his days. Even under the circumstances, there’s magic in every moment they can get. Who would have guessed he would find something that means as much to him as the life he’s known since he was a child.

“Good morning,” Hyunwoo breaks the air.

Hyungwon’s still staring at his face, keeping his gaze head on, admiring each trait.

“Good morning.”

“Sleep alright?”

“I could still be asleep,” he admits. “But then I’d miss this.”

“Who knew you could be this cheesy in the morning.”

“Guess I’ll never be sweet again if you’re not going to appreciate it.”

“Are you kidding? Who doesn’t love to hear things like that?”

Hyunwoo’s chest rumbles as he laughs, shaking Hyungwon even more awake.

“Maybe you’ll find someone else to be sweet.”

“I only want to hear it from you.”

He doesn’t know what’s coming next, or even how many moments they have left. But he’ll fight for each one, to have them for the rest of his life. He wonders if Hyunwoo would go back with him.

Or would he be willing to stay?

He has the world of time to figure it out. And he’ll do it with Hyunwoo.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!!
> 
> i'd love to hear what you think and pls don't think too deep about plot holes i tried
> 
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/imwhatistan/)


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